New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-05-01
is THE THISTLE A CUTTER 2
LIEUTENANT HEM THINKS SHE HAS
CENTRE-BOARD.
PERHAPS THIS EXPLAINS THE SECRECY WITH
WHICH uLs sIrcpoI.>rx,xx,

rhhhAPs THIS EXPLAINS THE SECRECY WITH
WHICH she HAS BEEN sURRoUNDED.
score or more of reasons have been advanced
to explain the mysterious secrecy which has
marked the construction of the Thistle from the
time that her plans were drawn up to the present,
but the most plausible conjecture thus far is that
made by Lieutenant HEM. the popular owner and
commander of the Galatea He thinks that the
Thistle has Q centre-board, and that James Bell
and the other members of the syndicate who fur
nished the money to build her were anxious Chat
this fact should not become known until it was
too late for the Americans to build boat on o
combination of the keel and centre-board principles
which Designer Watson has probably concluded
Is another step toward increased speed and power.
Every available means has been tried to get
the details Of the Thistle's construction, but all
have failed. Never before was builder sue
cessful in preventing the public from obtaining
anything like an accurate idea of her size and
shape. None but the owners designer and work.
men WIS allowed to see her while she was being
built and all Of these took oath not to divulge any,
thing about her. Not until within few days Of
the limit Of time within which the formal chal-
lenge had to be in the hands Of the Americas Cup
Committee were even the general dimensions
known, and then 1t was learned only that her
length at the load water line was s5 feet, her
breadth 20 feet inches, her depth of hold IA
feet inch and her registered tonnage 1908. The
great beam for boat built on the English model
created, of course, considerable comment on this
side Of the Atlantic, and it was Immediately hinted
that Me,srs. Watson and Bell had pic,Sl up some
ideas from the American type Of sloop when they
were over here last summer.
The desire to see the hull was greatly increased
after the dimensions published and several news
paper men travelled to Glasgow to try to get
glimpse of ID They saw nothing but shed with
es,, Ii 70 and
In letters large enough to read o block away
Positively No Admittance." No amount OF
money would induce any OF the workmen TO say
anything about the boat, and the journey OF the
reporters was friitless They bidcd their time
however, expecting as a matter Of course to be In
vited to attend the Launching. In this, too they
wero disappointed. When the boat was slid into
the water last Tuesday no one was permitted To
enter the shipyard except the members OF the sym
dicate and for fear the too-inquirlng public
would see her from afar of, she was covered with
boards and canvas and looked more like big
white box than anything eke. One OF James
Bells own tugs towed her to Gourick, still under
the covering, and there she viii be fitted up under
the same rule Of secrecy. The inst opportunity
that yachtsmen will have to get full description
OF her will be on May 20, when she will sail her
first race from Southend to Harwich In the Royal
thames Yacht Club match
What axes Lieutenant Henu's surmise that the
Thistle has q centre board seem most probable Is
her great breadth of beam, which Is disprop0rtlon-
atey wide if her model is at all like the cutters;
The Lieutenant thinks that her great width IS All
above the water line and that from that point to the
keel she is coucave and shallow making her IKE
one of the American 'skInming dishes WIN tne
difference that she has deep keel and In TINS q
trunk for a centre-board. A cutfer WIN =
wide beam and great depth would be somewhat OF
Scotchmen who hope to come over here and get the
Americas cup would venture to expe:lmeht. IL
seems more likely that Designer watson has sa,S ag
| the American and English types In the con-
strnction OF the Thistle. English yachts. ,sc
thst .hsy Eave great for the
| hoard as was made evident in one instance by the
conditions imposed By Tsnksrve Champssslayno s,,sao
more natural than that Brush designer gtss
ssSSd ssSSs wRieh iSsendsd to
embodiment of all that modern in boat-bIildingi
II hose yachtsmen who heped TO enLe M c ~.
| attention was bestowed upon the ooard ana i,s
workings, both in sloops and schooners anu II -
well known that some Of the s" speedest
Of the American sloops and especially OF those
which carried lead ballast in their keels; IL Is iait
| 10 suppose that his observations ana these plans
| were not altogether useless 10 hlm. -, ,.L
The masts Of c. Oliver Iselins steel sloop. which
Pepgras 6uanS e. Tas pSp SsPPGnu noW Ss gser
| The schooner Resolute. which recently came into
the possession Of Postley Is % Ga ho D1Tnns haa .S
| cut away and a line of battens indicates the form
of her new one She will be five feet longer on the
The crew of the old schooner Fleetwiug will be
shipped tomorrow. =, -, .. ...h4
Electra Commodore Elbridge I. Gerry, Is finished.
and she will be hauled out on LOWING h. Sott taw
rences marine raj way TO day to have her oottom
smoothed and to ship new rudder ,a ho. hssr
Lloyd Phenix's schooner, the intrepid. pas p oeen
taken from the screw-dook to Samuel Pines
Greennoint ward TO be fitted with q new jibboom
and topmast She will be ready to go into conf
mission next week. ., ;. so,~
the (;aatea's mast yesterday. She will be ready
ior her trip to Fortress Monroe and Bermuda hex5
Tine Shamrock, J. Rogers MaIwe"s new second.
class sloop, will be launched to-morroW Her mast
will not be stepped until after she is ahoat :.
The Anaconda the thlrd-class Sloop which 10
being buiIt for j. G.. Prague at Poillon'S
upon lines drawn by Philip Ellsworth Is all
The Domino. G. L. Haights sloop. will be fitted
with new spars and sails this season al VIII ha'o
a on of lead poured into her keel. iii
James n. WInslow's schooner. the agnes VIII
naXf i